Peace Day with Dr. Jane Goodall

Dr. Jane Goodall runs an amazing organization called Roots & Shoots. It is sort of like scouting, but focused on service projects to help humans, animals and the earth. Every year they celebrate the United Nations' Day of Peace by flying giant peace doves at events worldwide. NYCHEA, one of our homeschool groups, has a Roots & Shoots club, though it is geared towards older kids. (One of my mama friends and I will be working on starting something up for the younger kids soon.) So Kev, Mikro and I attended the NYC event, which Dr. Goodall participated in. She gave a lovely speech and was warm and wonderful, with the kids especially. After the proceedings at Bowling Green, including making peace doves, recording pledges for peace, singing the Peace Dove song and marching in a parade around the park, we all boarded a ferry for Liberty Island and had a peace rally around the flagpole. Dr. Jane posed for pictures with the clubs, and Mikro was lucky enough to have Dr. Jane sign one of his books, Girls Who Looked Under Rocks, which profiles her. Roots & Shoots is a perfect fit for Mikro, who takes very seriously the idea of kids saving the earth. I have to get him involved in it.







I am just amazed that in the span of a couple of months, my kid has met and learned from E.O. Wilson and Jane Goodall, two of the premier naturalists in the world. Life can be full of amazing blessings and inspiring heroes. And the world would be a better place if more of us tried to emulate them. I am very proud to say, I think Mikro will. Whether in big ways or small, the boy will try to make a difference. He cares too much not to.